The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has stated that the agency cannot provide concrete evidence that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the statement was made following inter-agency consultations with Russian officials regarding Tehran's nuclear activities.
Grossi emphasized that the agency's ability to monitor Iran's nuclear program has been severely compromised in recent years.
"I would like to clarify that, given the extremely limited inspection access of the IAEA in recent years, the increase in uranium enrichment levels to near-weapons grade, and the severe restriction of our access to Iran's nuclear infrastructure facilities, we cannot provide concrete and provable evidence that such weapons are not actually being created," he noted.
Grossi also stated that the IAEA strives for objectivity in matters related to Iran's nuclear program. He highlighted that the agency's primary task remains the organization of regular inspections to either confirm or deny the existence of plans to develop nuclear weapons. The Director General's remarks come amid heightened international concern over Tehran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which experts suggest is now closer than ever to the threshold required for a nuclear device.
The IAEA, established in 1957 as an autonomous organization within the United Nations system, serves as the global nuclear watchdog. Its primary mission is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy while ensuring that nuclear materials are not diverted for military purposes. The ongoing tensions regarding Iran's nuclear commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) continue to be a focal point of global security discussions, involving major powers including the United States under the administration of US President Donald Trump.
